Friday, September 12, 2008

Sin Chew reporter nabbed under ISA

Sin Chew Daily reporter Tan Hoon Cheng, who wrote about Ahmad Ismail's racist remarks, has been arrested. She was picked up by police at her Bukit Mertajam home at about 8.30pm and it is now confirmed that she has been arrested under the ISA. The Universiti Sains Malaysia mass communication graduate has worked in the newspaper for the past nine years. Her arrest has shocked the press fratenity as even in 1987, during the Operasi Lallang mass arrests, not a single journalist was arrested. The National Union of Journalists then was assured by the authorities that no reporter would be arrested. A large crowd of reporters and politicians have gathered at the state police headquarters where Tan is being reportedly held. The arrest took place just hours after the arrest of Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Kamaruddin. The authorities may have their reasons for their arrests and certainly the security of the nation is paramount. But the use of the ISA cannot be justified. This is not just a draconian law but an archaic one. These are reporters and writers, not terrorists or communists. Those that deserves to be punished are racist politicians not scribes. It is unacceptable in a democracy, if we still claim we are one.

19 comments:

wickwax
said...

Mr Wong,

Been online all evening: RPK was detained "for publishing hatred-inciting articles on his blog". Then they detained the Sin Chew reporter now. It's just too much. For reporting news-worthy stuff, this fella is a threat to security and peace of the country?

What are the press going to do about this I wonder? Or will there be no show of solidarity for fear of show-cause letters?

although the star is no longer what is used to be, it's time for you as a journalist and the star to take a stand. tell your political masters to reflect on saving the soul of malaysia, it's almost extinguished.

The only way to move forward is to change government ! I totally give up on BN-UMNO. We RAKYAT have been deaf and blind for so long. BLOG the truth, let every Malaysian knows !!!! This is the least you can DO....

Something is terribly wrong with this administration. Their actions does not make sense. They are arresting the wrong person and sending the wrong message to the country. If UMNO takes action on the culprit, it means they recognize that he was the reason for the uproar and incitement. What? Give him a slap on the hand and take draconian action on the messenger? What kind of logic is that? What kind of ministers do we have? They are out of their mind and desperate. The ship is SINKING and sinking FAST. I am utterly disgusted, disappointed and ANGRY!!!!

So they arrested her for reporting what was said but not the person who insisted he was right 'in the context of history'. But she reported correctly 'in the context as a journalist' so why the double standard? So Mr Wong now is the time we like to see if you show solidarity with your fellow journalist oh are you going to protect your vested interest and continue with your bias commentsI put up three candles in my website & it three in my home pray for an end to this draconian law and May God be merciful to those who use this law to deprive humans of basic justice The three candles are also to all those victims, families and humanity affected by arrests without trial.My prayers to all victims including her and rpk.In the next election, the party that supports the ISA do not get my vote. Let's remind ourselves this that this evil BN law will be removed one day and I hope sooner

I don't just pray that justice be restored, I pray that our land will not be further tainted by a bunch of incompetent and evil beings.

Clearly our government holds double standard. The bugger who made that comment was not arrested nor charged under ISA but the reporter who reported the incident became the scapegoat. Of course, this is a game that can only be played best by our government. When there's a chaos, it's easy to kill a poor goat to silence the herd. But this time, they let the fox in disguised get away with it, so another goat has to take his place. This is just too much. I don't need to wait to see if this is fair and just to Miss Tan, because I know what is going to happen. Sadly, I'm witnessing the greatest plot ever written in history, starring and directed by our very own government.

The WORLD today is facing a lot of challenges, one of which is the slowing down of the global economies, and the competitions at global level. Our gomen instead of using the best brains and talents they could muster in facing these challenges are using the limited resources we have for other purposes. In the end who suffered? Our people, our future generations. Do u think the wolves and their families who hve raped and plundered our nation wealth since the past 40 years or so are remorseful/repentant, will they be severely affect by this global recession? I don't think so. Stay cool, we are one nation, one people, the wolves are killing each other, not our quarrel, do not give them that excuse to divert our people's will for a change from that of the corrupt to the hopefully uncorrupt.

By God's Grace and Mercy no harm will befall the reporter and RPK as these are brave souls who bring us the truth.

Mr Wong,Following the latest arrests of the three persons under the ISA,the only hope for MALAYSIA is for all the other BN component parties to leave the BN. They will not have any support from any right thinking Malaysian anymore after this, so what's the point in remaining in the BN.

It is amusing and tragic at the same time that you have only seem to realize that we are nothing more than a pseudo-democracy.

'..the security of the nation is paramount.' I'm sure any person possessing anything resembling a human brain can clearly see where the threats to national security truly lies.

But who are we to blame you? Your views are not unbiased, for reasons you probably know best. But please, do not brand yourself a journalist when you are actually nothing more than a government mouthpiece with total disregard of the journalistic code.

It is fortunate that a significant amount of Malaysians have access to alternative media today. We are no longer the ignorant lot we used to be Mr. Wong. Perhaps it's time you gave some thought about why you are in the field of journalism in the first place.

If I remember many years back in the 90s, the Rahim Tamby Chik case, the person who did it got away but the person who said it and defence the case was jaied under ISA. Today we have another case, the person who said it was never detained and person who report it was detained. It does not matter whether she was detained 20hrs or 20 months the ISA was definately wrongly used and it really create more tension among the people. We got pissed off. Next I won't be surprise we were even arrested as a reader or listening to seditious news. I think Malaysia really Boleh man.

What a sad day and shame D-Day to My TanahAir, Malaysia. I always proud to tell people that Malaysia is the only country in the world that their Rakyat from all races, all religous are living in harmony and peacefully all these years. Thanks to the efforts of the rakyat who growth up for the last 51 years who have been able to access to the "true" informations through sources exspecially from the INTERNET. People from the kampung or villages are no more just listen to the feedback from the irresponsible politicians.My fellow friends / Kawan from all races/regelion are loving each others. We want to be MALAYSIA MALAYSIAN, WE want to live in MALAYSIAN MALAYSIA.So, Please do not continue lie to the Rakyat, Rakyat now are ever wiser than before. ISA Is not your weapon to protect your own political future, your crony, your bad practice and please do not treat your rakyat like a fool. If this continue, you will soon to face the risiko yourself!

About Me

Wong Chun Wai, 48, is the Group Chief Editor of The Star newspaper in Malaysia. Wong writes a weekly column "On The Beat" in The Sunday Star. He regards himself as a newcomer to the New Media and believes it can co-exist with the mainstream. The views expressed in Wong's blog are entirely his and do not represent that of his newspaper. More on Wong, click here.